Hello everyone. Happy Holidays and welcome to the final chapter of Lessons Learned. Now, some fair warning. None of the aligned continuity that I've been exposed to is very clear as to what happened to the Ark or all the other Autobots aboard her. So having said that, I decided to go my own way after Exiles and improvise. I just hope this chapter doesn't' seem too rushed.
June sighed as she looked down at the desk that she had used for all of Arcees' lessons up until now.
"Are you okay June?" Arcee asked her recently reformatted Maximal sister.
"Yeah." June replied, looking up at her. "It just seems surreal."
"I know what you mean." Mike "Cheetor" Fowler added as he stepped into the classroom. He'd spent the day before reading up on all the lessons Arcee had already gone over to get up to speed for this lesson. "It's hard to believe you were ever that small."
"Pretty much." June agreed as she took a seat next to her kids. Once the last of the Camien students were seated, Arcee began her final lesson.
"Alright everyone, first off, are there any questions about the last lesson?" She nodded at Mikes' raised hand.
"How come only team Prime end up on Earth when so many autobots left on the Ark?" He asked.
"That will be explained in todays' lesson." Arcee answered. "Now, I'm only going by what was written about the Arks' journey through space since I didn't come along until later."
Arcee looked at her notes before beginning. "After Teletrann-1 locked onto the Allsparks location, the Ark began its search for it. The ships first port of call was the lost colony world of Velocitron." She switched on the hologram projector, showing a world that seemed to be comprised of raceways.
"Okay." Mike laughed. "I totally want to try and run that."
"You'd fit right in." Arcee laughed. "Velocitron had originally been an experimental world for racing and speed enthusiasts. However, after the rust plague, it became a way of life."
"During the planets' greatest race, The Speedia, Optimus ordered an Autobot named Silverbolt to fly over the racecourse as it finished. This showed the Velocitronians that there were other ways besides that of speed."
The image on the projector changed to a red and white femme with a gold face. "This showing convinced Override, one of the planets' leaders, to allow The Ark to land for repairs." She looked back at her class. "Once word spread, several Velocitronians flocked to join the Autobots, the main three relevant to this lesson were Clocker, Mainspring, and Blurr."
"During the repairs, Optimus decided to explore the planet." Arcee continued. "Following a vision from the Matrix, Optimus found a piece of metal that he at first believed was part of the Star Saber."
"Well, we know that it wasn't the Star saber." Lightbright interrupted. "So, what was it?"
"I'll come to that." Arcee answered before continuing. "Upon returning with the piece, Blurr informed Optimus that the Speedias' trophy he won had a similar piece attached to it. Unfortunately, a series of bombs went off in the Ark, sabotaging it before any further investigations could begin."
"Who sabotaged it?" Raf asked.
"Apparently, a Decepticon shifter had made his way aboard and planted the devices." Arcee explained. "He also began turning various Velocitronians against us, including another ruler of Velocitron named Ransack. The final stroke, however, came when he signaled the Nemesis to Velocitron."
"You mean the Decepticons went to Velocitron too?" Nautica asked.
"Unfortunately." Arcee confirmed. "Their arrival sparked off the planets' own civil war. The Ark was forced to make an emergency departure. We never knew what happened after that." There was a moment of silence as Arcee checked her notes.
"Afterwards, the Autobots found themselves on a stranger planet. A planet comprised of scrap, junk, and trash." The hologram changed to a planet that looked like a gigantic junkyard. "The planet, ironically enough, was called Junkion."
"Well." Raf began. "If you needed parts, you'd probably find them there."
"More than you know Raf." Arcee replied. "Junkion and their leader Wreck-Gar take recycling to a whole new level." The image switched from Junkion to a red and orange mustachioed bot that looked about as Hodge Podge as the planet. "Their world is constantly building something and when they're done with it, they break it down to use the parts elsewhere."
Sierra smiled. "Reduce, reuse, recycle. Apparently, aliens do it too."
"Thankfully they do." Arcee continued. "Because when Optimus greeted them, the light of the Matrix cleared their minds enough for them to agree to help repair the Ark."
"Cleared their minds?" June asked.
"Something about Junkion renders mild psychosis to be a normal frame of mind. Their ability to build becomes a singular thought." Seeing her class's confused expressions, she continued. "Optimus and the Matrix gave them the clarity to use their skills to help them."
"While that was going on." Arcee picked back up. "A couple of Autobots named Prowl and Jazz found the shifter." She looked at Jack Miko and Raf. "His name was Makeshift, who we'd meet later." She added to their surprise.
"During the repairs, Optimus was led by another vision." Arcee continued. "This time into the heart of Junkion. During his journey, he was able to find the remaining pieces of what he'd started to find on Velocitron, Vector Primes' Blades of Time." She explained.
"Oh, another Prime artifact." Lightbright squealed.
"Yes." Arcee nodded. "And using them, he attempted to call on Vector Prime for help. Sadly, he was unsuccessful. Which was worse because the Decepticons had arrived while Optimus and Vector were meeting."
"I'm only guessing." Vince interrupted. "But Makeshift again?"
"Unfortunately, yes." Arcee confirmed. "He signaled the cons before being captured, and ultimately escaped in the battle. He also discovered a fact the Decepticons took great interest in. The fact that Junkion, had built up around Megatronus Primes' Requiem Blaster."
Arcee checked her notes for the final time as she let that fact sink in. "Using the Nemesis' weapons, the Decepticons split the planet in two, allowing them to recover it and mount it to the ship. However, the autobots had an unknown ace in the hole too."
She switched the hologram over again to a group of five bots. "Mainspring and Clocker, along with an Autobot named Pinion, combined with the Junkions Chaindrive and Cannonspring into their true identity." The hologram changed to one from the Maximals' first lesson.
"Nexus Prime?" Jack whispered. "They were Nexus Prime all along?"
"Correct Jack, although they probably didn't know it." Arcee smiled. "And together with Optimus, they were able to ultimately sever the blaster from the ship as the Ark launched again."
Arcee gave a sad sigh. "Unfortunately, the Ark was struck by a stray shot as the Requiem Blaster spun away through space. Fortunately, most of the Autobots were able to get to stasis pods stored on board so when the gravity anomaly the blaster caused flung it across the cosmos, they were safe. However, when the effect wore off, the Ark split in two, causing the pods to become scattered throughout this galaxy. Only Optimus, Bumblebee, Ratchet, and Bulkhead landed on Earth, Cliffjumper and I came later." She finished.
"So where are the other Autobots now?" Jack asked. "Well, besides the ones we've met."
"Scattered to the winds." Arcee answered. "And unfortunately, we have no way to locate them."
"What happened to Nexus Prime?" Miko asked.
"According to Optimus, he separated again to make sure the other Prime artifacts he hid were safe. He could be anywhere or any one now." She replied.
"That said, I have nothing more to teach you all. The rest, as they say, is history. Now, I'll hand out the test papers to see if any of you need to retake the course." Arcee announced with a straight face.
There was a moment of stunned silence before Arcee snorted which turned into full, contagious laughter the moment her class realized she was joking. "Sorry." She apologized. "I couldn't resist."
"Aww, but I studied." Lightbright added in all seriousness, causing the laughter to continue.
"Class dismissed." Arcee said as her own laughter died down. As the last of the class left, Arcee exited the classroom. After finishing her first teaching gig in millions of years, she was in the mood for a drink. She snorted to herself wondering if she could convince June to come with her for some coffee since it had the same effect as alcohol on her new body.
Either way, Arcee understood she'd only taught the lessons learned so far. Whatever lessons came next, they'd all learn together.
To be continued in Beast Wars Prime
A/N-Can this be? Have I finished a story? Technically no, since this is part of Beast Wars Prime, but having said it, elements of these lessons will have a major impact in coming chapters. Until then, please, fave, follow, and review.